I have always loved orchids!I was fortunate in having room in our basement to build a "green room" which in turn gave me the opportunity to begin collecting orchids soon after we moved to Lake Monticello in 2006. I actually began buying orchids in 2008 and have been adding to my collection ever since. As of early 2012 I have a little over 100 plants. They range from the more common supermarket variety called phaleanopsis to the more exotic . I keep my orchids in the green room during the winter and move them to the outdoors in the summer. One day I was in a Koeger grocery store in Charlottesville and noticed several orchid plants in a trash can. I asked the flower lady what was going to happen to the plants and she said they were heading for the trash heap because they were no longer blooming. Not wanting to see perfectly good plants making the sad journey to orchid heaven, I asked if I could have the plants. She replied that she couldn't give them to me but she could sell them for $2 each. I agreed and that gave me the opportunity of jump starting my collection. As it turned out, the plants have been some of my best bloomers.I belong to the Charlottesville Orchid Society (CHAOS) and have made many new friends with like interests. Many of the plants that I own have come from my fellow CHAOS members. Enjoy this journey through the magical and mystical world of orchids.